Close Reassurance
by ForeverisGone13
Summary: What happens when Chesh wants to play a game? A finding game...Short drabble fic for my friend, CheshxAlice pairing.


**I have never actually played American Mcgee's Alice, but I wanted to write this for my friend . This is a little drabble happening maybe during a peaceful time in Wonderland, like after Alice gets her sanity back and saves everyone. I don't know, just a drabble based in the Mcgee's Alice universe.**

**CheshirexAlice pairing**

**BTW- Chesh doesn't look his normal self; he sort of is humanized, like a Furry. Hope no one minds ^^'**

"Would you like to play a game, Alice?"

Young Alice snapped out of her daydreaming, smiling and remembering that she was already in one. Glancing up, she looked into the blazing yellow eyes of her best friend in the whole wide world. That included the real world and Wonderland, mind you.

Chesh.

The Cheshire Cat, her constant companion in her own world of wonders. He was always by her side, playing every game she wanted and answering to her every whim. He came and went as he pleased, but he came more than he left.

Stretching, she blinked her green eyes and grinned at him. Of course, she could never grin as well as he, but she always tried. He blinked down at her, his grin never leaving his face. She sat there, just looking at him. She could do that for hours and hours on end, just examining every little detail.

He was quite tall and lean, abnormally skinny too. You could even call him bony. He was covered in thin dark grayish-brown fur, with strange black markings. He had long, tattered ears and a long bony tail, like a cat. He had human hands, with long fingers that almost resembled paws. One of his most cat-like features was the needle sharp claws that extended from his fingertips.

But the cat had never harmed her with those claws, treating her almost like a delicate doll. But sometimes, when he was feeling rough and playful, he would keep his claws in and scuffle with me. He would even tickle me until I begged for mercy, which would make him chuckle in the most delightful way. It was like a deep, throaty purr.

Well, what else could you expect from a cat?

His only real attire was the gold hoop earring in his right ear, and a pair of baggy, ratty trousers. But instead of making him look like a slob, he just looked scruffy and wonderfully mangy. Oh, Alice did love her Chesh!

And Chesh loved his Alice, but he would never tell her that…not to her face, anyhow.

She heard him chuckle, and knew she had been caught staring. Trying not to blush, she crossed her arms and tried to look indifferent. Chesh didn't have the heart to tell her that she was failing miserably at it, but it amused him none the less.

"What kind of game?" He had captured her attention.

If possible, he grinned even wider and started to explain. "Oh Alice, it is a finding game."

She perked up. "Like hide and seek?"

Shaking his head, she saw a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "No, not hide and seek. Not exactly. I am giving you a task, one that I know you will be able to do Alice….if you want to enough."

There was something in his eyes she couldn't get; no matter how hard she searched those amber depths. But, even though she would never admit it, she loved to please him. So, feeling a swell of determination, she turned up her chin and stared defiantly into his eyes.

_Oh, what pretty eyes he has- no, Alice focus! He is so tricky….._

**(A/N): Italicized words are thoughts**

"I can want it enough!" Not wanting to sound too eager, she stared down at her nails as if examining them. She had seen adults in her own world do it, and she assumed they did it as a way of acting like they didn't care. That's what it looked like to her anyhow. "Well…it depends on what the game is, Chesh….."

Stepping closer, he looked into her eyes. "Alright then, Alice. Let's play…the point of this game is to find a sound or the source of a sound..."

Puzzled, she blinked. "What sound, Chesh?"

He smiled. "This sound, listen very closely….." Taking his advice she closed her eyes and listened as hard as she could. After a second or two, she very faintly heard one distinct sound above all the others. It was a steady thumping sound, a steady rhythm that sounded very familiar but she couldn't quite place it.

"What exactly is it?" She was still confused.

Turning, he started to walk away, but looked back one more time. "That's for me to know and you to find out…" He then disappeared, evaporating like he usually did.

The sound was getting fainter, so she quickly stumbled after it, trying to find the source. She looked everywhere, under the plants and even climbed a few trees. She asked the flowers and everything that spoke, but no one had any idea what she was talking about.

Alice even ran past the Hatter's tea party, where March Hare and others sat, and 'madly' drinking tea. Stopping for breath, she glanced over. "Have any of you heard a strange noise? Like, a thumping sort of rythmic sound? I have not the slightest idea what it could be….."

Hatter stared at her strangely, and then just laughed. "Ah, I see….is this one of Chesh and your games?"

"Yes, actually, it is. How did you know that, Hatter?"

"Oh, nothing Alice….run along now, we have tea pots to smash and- oh dear Marchy what has you so happy? You've become rather mad, did you know that…." Their topic of conversation soon forgot about Alice and proceeded to follow something along the lines of…..whatever they seemed to be talking about.

Sighing in frustration, she continued her search. The caterpillar seemed to "busy" to answer at the moment, but all she saw him doing was smoking out of a hookah, which she often seen older gentleman in her own world would do. It was smelly and disgusting in her opinion…not productive or "busy" at all…

Finally, after what seemed like hours, she hopped aboard a large floating lily pad in a large pond that she had come across, and floated for a while. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on the sound, just barely reaching her ears.

"Given up, have you?"

Her eyes snapped open, meeting golden was. The peculiar sound was suddenly very loud, and she sat up from her lying down position. Chesh drew back, sitting like a cat, his tail flicking back and forth. His grin was still in place, like it always was, but Alice could only feel irritation instead of admiration.

"You know how I hate riddle-like games Chesh…this one is so puzzling. What is this sound? Why can't I ever seem to find it? I've looked everywhere….or "heard" everywhere, if you want to phrase it like that!"

"Oh dear Alice…you didn't have to go very far to find it! It was next to you all along…" Abruptly, he threw his arms around her and drew her close to his chest, her head tucked under his chiseled chin. Flustered, she struggle for a minute, but relaxed when she realized she quite liked this feeling….she didn't know why, she just knew she did.

"Relax Alice; just listen closely, one more time…" So she did. Closing he eyes, she listened. The sound was quite loud, and she realized the source was Chesh's chest. Pressing her ear closer into his fur, she felt the rhythmic pounding against her skin.

"Ah, so that's what it was….." She smiled, strangely happy about her foolishness. Maybe it was because it got her into her current situation…

"Yes Alice, I think you've guessed it. A heartbeat. Mine, to be exact. How do you like it?"

Drawing away, she looked up into his eyes, feeling flushed. "It was beautiful, powerful even. It was so reassuring in some way. Do you know what I mean?"

He sighed, closing his bright eyes for a moment. "No, regretfully I don't know what you mean. I have never been close to the reassurance of a heartbeat…."

"You haven't?" That made her feel sad, and she reached up to stroke his soft cheek. Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist gently, and leaned in. Surprised, she froze as he brought his ear to her chest. Blushing, she stammered, her mind going blank for a reason she didn't know.

Purring with pure contentment, he closed his eyes and just listened. "No…..but now I have, Alice. Oh Alice, my dear Alice….you're heartbeat is so _very_ reassuring…."

**Had to get that our of my head, just for fun **


End file.
